Wednesday, February 21, 2007

In Buenos Aires, the hierarchy of dance was quite set. Beginners had to earn their place on the dance floor. Touristas rated lower than beginners until they proved themselves and then were danced with according to ability. Tangueros watched from the sidelines assessing posture, footwork, and connection. And it was hard to break in as someone had to take that initial risk.

In Victoria, it seems that beginners rate higher than those that have earned their place. I question this. Is it their personality? Ability? I'm all for working with our beginners to get them up to speed, but not when it comes at the cost of leaving out those who have danced for years.